Practice Notebook - Nov. 16, 2022

WINNIPEG -Wednesday was one of those 'good news, bad news' type of days for the Winnipeg Jets.
The good news is that Nikolaj Ehlers skated for the first time since mid-October. Now, he didn't skate with the team - he was on the ice an hour before practice with strength and conditioning trainer Jake Wolff - and head coach Rick Bowness still isn't sure when the speedy forward can return to the line-up.
However, just seeing the Dashing Dane on the ice for the first time in over a month was a nice sight.
The bad news is that forward Mason Appleton, injured in the 3-2 overtime win over Seattle on Sunday, had surgery and will miss 8-12 weeks.
"When he came in off the ice and talked to him, he couldn't hold a stick, so right away you're worried," Bowness said. "It's just unfortunate because he was playing very, very well, playing a lot of important minutes for the team and that line, doing a good job on the penalty kill. Those are important minutes that have to be replaced."

As always, there is a plan for those minutes, and the two skates this week leading into Thursday's game against the Anaheim Ducks were a key part of that plan.
First, the Jets will put veteran forward Sam Gagner on the right wing with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor - which is the spot Appleton had been playing. The trio has spent a bit of time together this season, with Natural Stat Trick giving them a 58 percent shot attempt share at five-on-five, and an expected goal percentage of just over 50 percent.
"They have a ton of skill. You want to support that," said Gagner following Wednesday's 40-minute skate. "It's important for me to skate and be available, get open, forecheck, all those different things - and make plays when they're there. The way I play can help them."
When Gagner signed with the Jets, one of the biggest assets he brought to the table - along with experience - was versatility. The 33-year-old has spent time on top lines, fourth lines, and both special teams units on the six teams he played for prior to joining the Jets.

Through 14 games this season, he's checked pretty well all those boxes.
"You have to be ready for anything," said Gagner. "It's a long season, there are going to be ups and downs, injuries, different things that happen. You have to prepare for any role. Whatever is asked of me, I'll do."
As far as Appleton's penalty killing duties go, Bowness said there will be a slight adjustment. Usually, the Jets begin the penalty kill with Appleton and Adam Lowry.
That will change to Lowry and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby.
"Then (we'll) come back with (David Gustafsson) and Saku (Maenalanen) sitting there," said Bowness. "And (Dominic Toninato) will play tomorrow and (Blake Wheeler) and KC and Mark - they've all killed penalties."
LINE RUSHES
After not skating with the main group on Tuesday, both Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan DeMelo were back with the team on Wednesday.
The full line rushes looked like this:
Connor-Scheifele-Gagner
Perfetti-Dubois-Wheeler
Jonsson-Fjallby-Lowry-Eyssimont
Toninato-Gustafsson-Maenalanen
Harkins
Morrissey-Pionk
Dillon-Schmidt
Samberg-DeMelo
Capobianco
Gagner's promotion to the top line left a spot open on the right wing with Lowry, one that Bowness has slotted Mikey Eyssimont in for now.
Eyssimont played his second NHL game on Sunday against Seattle, totalling 8:11 of ice time and one shot on goal.
"He showed a lot of good, positive things in the Seattle clips, and he was in a lot of them," said Bowness. "He's fearless. He's quick. He's on the puck and he's not afraid to shoot the puck, which we love. He was putting pucks on the net. And what he showed us during that game was that he was reliable without the puck."
BIG NIGHT
There have been many memorable nights in a Jets jersey for Blake Wheeler, but rarely do those memories involve the opponent more so than his own team.
That rare case came when Teemu Selanne returned to Winnipeg during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Anaheim Ducks.
"It probably was one of the loudest crowds we've had," Wheeler said. "Obviously the nostalgia of that year in particular, it was probably a lot of people's fondest memories of the Jets, either version. He was here for a short time, but he made a huge impact and had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the league in this city wearing our uniform."

Both Selanne and Teppo Numminen will be inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame on Thursday as the Jets take on the Ducks.
Wheeler has played against both of them in his career. He went up against Numminen during his rookie season in Boston, but saw a lot more of Selanne before the Finnish Flash retired following the 2013-14 season.
"I think I played against him for Finland, too. They brought him out in Sochi, he had a huge game, too," said Wheeler. "Just one of those guys that when you played against him you pinched yourself a little bit. It was pretty cool playing in the same league, let along the same ice surface as a guy you looked up to and kind of idolized a little bit growing up."
Selanne has often commented about how the community of Winnipeg meant a lot to him as he tried to find his way in a new country and a new league.
That sense of community hasn't changed one bit, according to Wheeler.
"Our best friends in the world are Winnipeggers, our kid's best friends are all from Winnipeg," Wheeler said. "We've grown up here and we've raised our family here. If there's anyone that knows about that it's probably the Wheelers."